Robert J. Gordon Books
Robert J. Gordon is an American economist and professor at Northwestern University, known for his research on productivity, inflation, and economic growth.
Known for: The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living Since the Civil War
Books by Robert J. Gordon
The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living Since the Civil War
In this landmark economic history, Robert J. Gordon argues that the extraordinary growth in American living standards between 1870 and 1970 was a unique episode in human history. He traces how innovations such as electricity, indoor plumbing, automobiles, and modern medicine transformed daily life, while showing that the pace of progress has slowed dramatically since then. Gordon contends that future generations may not experience the same rapid improvements, as the most transformative inventions have already been made.
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Historical Context: America Before 1870
Before 1870, the United States was still a young nation, largely rural and agrarian. Economic life revolved around physical labor—on farms, in small workshops, or along trade routes shaped by waterways. The tools of everyday life had changed remarkably little from those of medieval Europe. Most hous...
From The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living Since the Civil War
The Great Inventions and Their Transformative Reach
Between 1870 and 1900, and then accelerating in the early 20th century, a set of innovations came forth that I term ‘Great Inventions.’ These were not mere gadgets but entire systems of transformation: electricity, the internal combustion engine, modern communications, running water, sewage systems,...
From The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living Since the Civil War
About Robert J. Gordon
Robert J. Gordon is an American economist and professor at Northwestern University, known for his research on productivity, inflation, and economic growth. He is a member of the National Bureau of Economic Research and has served on various economic advisory panels in the United States.
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Robert J. Gordon is an American economist and professor at Northwestern University, known for his research on productivity, inflation, and economic growth.
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